The Past's Poison
by The Masked Authors
Summary: Set after TEC. Years after Artemis's mind wipe, her past vulnerability comes back to bite Holly and the People when a mysterious poison that the People suspect was injected by Artemis attacks Holly. But why only now, after so long? And what will they do? With no cure underground, they are forced to go to Artemis for it. But what will he do, with his memories not intact?
1. Chapter 1

**10: Okay, guys. So, for the moment, this is just me, so no funny authors' note/disclaimers from 7 and I today. Sorry. But, anyhow, new story! I dreamt this idea like three times, and then rolled over and went back to sleep everytime almost. It took me weeks to remember it, therefore that's why it took so long to put this story out there to you guys. Fortunately, I did, and now 7 and I are having a field day with it. :D So, without further ado:**

**(Disclaimer: We don't own Artemis Fowl, just the OC and the plot idea. We may wish we did, that way the series ending would have been a little less of a cliffhanger and a lot more A/H, but unfortunately we don't.)**

Fowl Manor, basement cell, 9 years before:

He stared at her for several minutes, watching her closely as she slept. _She won't wake up for a while yet,_ he thought. _So if I'm going to do it, now is the time_. But he hesitated. _She's so small... and not human. The way I developed it was to use in a human. Which means she might have a different reaction to it, if it works at all_... _and my antidote might not work. Then it could kill her. But, _he reasoned_, she's probably going to die anyways, so what does it matter_?

He had to debate with himself for several more minutes before coming to a decision. In the end, he went and got the syringe, then came back and quietly injected the green liquid into her shoulder.

Holly Short had been unconscious at this time, and had no recollection of the drug being put into her; in fact, she never even found out it happened. Until several years later, that is...

* * *

Haven city, present time:

"Scott!" Holly Short yelled. "Corporal! Get up! We're late!" She banged on the sleeping elf's door when she didn't answer. "If you don't open the door this instant, I'll-"

The sentence was cut off as her friend threw open the door at that moment, nearly slamming into Holly as she busted out and started down the steps. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm right here, Captain, no need to get mad."

"Don't start getting smart with me, Corporal," the captain snapped, following her. "I'm already mad. Just go get in the car while I get my gun."

"Yes ma'am," she muttered. "Just don't shoot me, alright? Root would have you fired for that."

"I know this, Mercedes. Just go." And with that, Holly dashed back up the stairs, heading into her own room to get the gun from its post beside her door.

Five minutes later, they were both sitting inside the warm car and driving down the streets of Haven as fast as Holly could go without killing some little fairy on the way to school. Unfortunately, she had to dodge them quite often, and this added an additional ten minutes to their trip, making them almost a half an hour late.

"D'Arvit," Holly muttered, as they stepped out of the vehicle and headed up towards the Plaza's large double doors. "I'm gonna be lucky if Root doesn't have my acorns for being this late..."

Mercedes huffed out a chuckle as they ran inside. "If he takes yours, then I'm definitely loosing mine."

"Yeah. Let's just pray he doesn't."

They both ran into their sections and clocked in. Then they ran in the general direction of their offices, both hoping to get there before it came up on Root's screen that they were in and he missed them...

Of course, their hopes were futile. Just as both of them passed the room and thought they were home free, both heard the door open behind them and Root say, "not so fast. My office. Now."

Both girls turned slowly, shared a glance that clearly said 'uh oh', and then followed their boss into his office.

Root held the door open for them, then closed it as they both turned to face him. Leaning against it and crossing his arms, he ground out, "this is the fourth time this week you are late. Care to explain why?"

Mercedes and Holly exchanged a glance, and the Corporal said, "you're the superior."

Holly sighed as she turned to look at her Commander. "Look, Commander... I'm sorry that we keep continually being late, our alarms still aren't working. I've tried to fix them several times... I even bought a brand new meter and reset it there! It still won't go off!" She shook her head. "I'm beginning to think that the frequencies are screwing with our signals or something."

The commander sighed. "I would like to believe that as much as you would. I would also like you to get here on time, but obviously that isn't going to happen." He paused. "Holly, you are one of my best officers. Under your guidance, Mercedes is shaping up to be one too. But I can't leave you in the position you're in if you continue to be late. I have to have my officers, especially the ones in positions of power or that I trust, here, that way they're here when I need them. I don't exactly want to, but if you keep this schedule up, I'll have to demote you and take your rights to training the corporal away."

Holly frowned. "But I-"

Suddenly, her words cut off as a wave of pain hit her. Clutching her stomach, Holly doubled over and hissed. Fighting to keep her knees from buckling, she grabbed on to the Commander's desk for support.

"Captain. If you are trying to pull something over on me, I'll have your acorns," the commander warned.

In too much pain to form comprehensible thought, let alone words, Holly shook her head.

"I don't think she's acting, Commander," Mercedes said, stepping up beside her friend and laying a hand on her shoulder. "Heal," she murmured.

The magic flew down her fingers. However, it didn't really heal the Captain. It stopped the pain momentarily, but as long as the pain was gone, the sparks kept going. After a moment, they realized what was happening, and Root said it first. "It's not healing her. It's only holding off the pain. The question is, why?"

"I don't know," Holly muttered, breathing hard. "I don't know what's wrong. It's not like I had holy water or anything... and I'm not allergic to anything. Besides, even if I was, neither of us had anything for breakfast before we came to work! I don't know." she repeated.

"Do you have any magic left?"

"No," Mercedes answered, before Holly could say otherwise. "She's drained dry. I can feel it, even if she hadn't told me. With all the late mornings and stuff, neither of us got time to ask for a visa... And I'm pretty low myself," she admitted.

Root scowled. "Alright. Stop healing her, and save the rest of what you have. I suppose we'll have to take her to the clinic."

Holly groaned. "No! I hate that place!"

"Shut up, Captain Short," the commander snapped. "That's an order."

Holly sighed, but nodded. Mercedes pulled her hand away. Instantly, the pain returned, although it was a little less potent. "Fine. But make this quick. I have paperwork to do."

"You and me both," the commander grunted, lifting the elf up and slinging her over his shoulder. Holly held her head high for a moment, then gave up and rested it against the commander's back as the pain got worse again. He could feel her sweating and breathing hard. However, it was several more minutes before the male elf saw the blood running down the front of him. Well, Mercedes pointed it out, and then he saw it. Instead of really reacting, however, he just sped up.

"Call them," Julius ordered without even blinking.

"What?"

"The clinic. Call them and let them know we're coming."

Mercedes nodded, but her hands were shaking. She pulled out her communicator and slowly typed in the emergency number. They picked up instantly, and she slowly started to explain the situation. By the time they got to his vehicle, Root was impatient and he growled as he laid Holly across the backseat. Then he ripped the communicator out the corporal's hand and growled, "this is getting tedious. This is Commander Root of the LEP. I have a hurt officer here, and we're bringing her in. Have a squad ready for us when we get there." Then he cut the connection and tossed the communicator back to it's owner. "There."

Mercedes, a little shell-shocked, nodded and caught it. "Okay then," she murmured, buckling in next to her superior. "Off we go."

* * *

Indeed, the clinic made sure they had a whole squad of fairies ready to receive Captain Short when they brought her in. Still unconscious and bleeding from two holes now, one in her knuckle and the other the original one in her stomach, the elf didn't look good.

As several of the fairy doctors and nurses wheeled Holly away, already hooked to a drip and pulling more blood as the work to patch the holes in the elf's body, a few handed Root and Mercedes some paperwork to fill out for her. Root groaned as he sat down to fill it in. "More D'Arvitting paperwork," he growled. "That's exactly what I need."

"It's for Captain Short," the corporal reminded softly. He threw her a glare, and she wilted slightly, muttering, "but if you really don't want to, I will..."

"No, I have it under control, Corporal, really," Root growled, his face slightly red. "I just prefer to have as little to work on as possible."

"You and me both," she muttered, looking away and sliding down a bit in the chair. He smirked, but continued working without a word.

The doctor came back out about an hour after the commander turned the paperwork in. Mercedes spotted him first. "Commander," she said, nudging his shoulder gently. He looked at her, then up at the doctor. "Oh. Doctor Boon. How is she?"

"She's alive, for the moment."

"What do you mean?" Mercedes demanded sharply, sitting up a little straighter. "Why only for the moment?"

"That is personal information which we can only tell you with permission from her or her family," Boon said, shaking his head. "I'm sorry."

Root frowned. "I'm her boss. She's worked for me for over ten years. Why can't you tell me?"

"Do you have any blood relation to the Captain?"

"No."

"Are you her godfather or anything of the sort?"

"No."

"Then I cannot tell you. I'm sorry."

The commander growled irritably, looking away. His face was red. However, before he could snap at the doctor, Corporal Scott stepped in. "I know her godfather. If we call him, can you tell him?"

"Of course. He'll probably be wanting to know anyways. You may use the office desk phone if you need."

Before Root could answer to that, too, she stopped him. "No. I have a direct line on my communicator to him, but thanks anyways." Then she pulled it out and started dialing. Root frowned at her, and the doctor walked away.

"Who's Holly's godfather?"

"Don't you know?" Mercedes asked, looking up at him with a puzzled expression. "Foaly is."

* * *

A half an hour later, the centaur clopped in. Root and Mercedes we're waiting for him.

"How come you never told me you were Holly's godfather?" Root demanded, as soon as he saw him.

"Never came up," Foaly said absently, clopping right past him and over to the desk. "Anyhow, of you really cared, it's in Holly's files."

The commander scowled, but didn't answer as he followed the centaur over to the desk.

Now that Foaly was with them, they had no trouble getting information. That is, after they were taken back to the room where Holly was at and the doctor was called in.

"Mr. Foaly," Boon greeted, shaking his hand on returning.

"Doctor Boon. What is wrong with my goddaughter?"

"Well, see, the the problem is that I cannot answer that question. We went ahead and ran some blood tests on Miss Short, and it seems that everything is normal except one thing."

"Yes?" Foaly said impatiently, shuffling from front hoof to hoof.

"Well, it seems there is something in her blood stream, that's not normal. Likely something injected. It seems to be some kind of poison or something. All of our machines are picking up that it's something unnatural, but none of them seem to be able to identify it. And it's not an allergy, obviously, or we would have figured out what it was."

The group nodded collectively. "What is it doing to her?" Root asked, crossing his arms.

"This is the interesting part. It seems to be opening holes in her insides. They're small holes, granted, perhaps the size of some smaller human bullet sizes, but still, if they open up in the wrong place, it can and likely will kill her. And, as it stands now, there is no way we can treat her." Doctor Boon sighed. "I'm sorry."

Foaly frowned, but nodded. He shook the man's hand and then, making him stop halfway out the door, asked, "when can I take her home, then?"

"Whenever you're ready," the man answered. "You can get her discharged at the front desk. I'm afraid there's nothing else we can do for her here."

This statement only confirmed what he already knew. "Okay. Thank you." The doctor nodded and left.

Root immediately turned to Foaly. "Okay, genius. What do you think?"

"I think we have a Fowl situation."

**Any one get the pun? ;) Anyhow... I'm guessing 7 will want this review powered, but in the meantime, until we consult, I'll let it go. But still, please review and tell us what you think! We always appreciate criticism and just being able to hear your thoughts and opinions! If there's any questions, feel free to PM her or I on one of our other accounts, or on this one if its easier! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**10: Hey everyone! 7's back! XD**

**7: Yeah, cuz you know...missed this hell hole-I mean, glorious place so much! Haha!**

**10: *glares* Okay. . . so let's just do the disclaimer, if this is so painful. . . **

**7: Hehehe, fine...Umm….how do these go again? *scratches head in confusion***

**10: Ugh. . . *looks at readers* I suppose I'll have to reteach all this later. . . *frowns* Grr. . .well, at least it will give me something to get my head out. . . I mean, off, Ibara. . . *face palms* Anyhow. . .We don't own AF! . . . there, that's done. . . . XD**

**7: Ibara? And THAT'S what a disclaimer is...I was seriously worried that it was where we kill someone for the gods… *looks up at sky and pushes 10 forward***

**10: *glares at 7* ugh, whatever. Can't die anyways. *grins evilly, then looks at readers* Also, since I referenced it (though it has nothing to do with this story) I don't own Pendragon either. Though it is awesome. . . Now. . . time to flume away. . .**

**7: Stop showing off your disclaimer skills….**

**10: *sticks tongue out* Make me! *flumes away* :P *pokes head back in* oh yeah. . . enjoy the story! *winks and flumes out again, snickering***

"What makes you so sure this has something to do with Fowl?" Root asked, a few hours later. They had Holly discharged from the hospital and at home, resting. That's where she was now, while Mercedes, Root, and Foaly were all in the Ops Booth. Foaly was working furiously at the computer now, hacking Fowl's files and checking all of his projects to see if he could find anything that could match what was wrong with Holly.

"What else could it be? It wasn't anything that I came up with, it's nothing she's allergic to... What other options are there?"

Mercedes frowned. "But wasn't Fowl mind wiped?"

"Yes," they answered in unison. "However," Foaly added, "you have to remember how many times Fowl had Holly in his control. He could have done something behind the scenes before the mind wipe, that we never knew about, to her."

She nodded thoughtfully. "If it turns out to be him though, what do we do? Artemis has no memories, but if it's his drug, then no doubt he'll have the cure. How do we get it from him?"

Foaly's fingers slowly slightly on the keyboard as he thought about it. He and Root exchanged a glance. "I guess she has to go up and get it from him," Foaly said, shrugging. "We'll just have to try to make sure nothing bad happens. I know it isn't exactly safe, but what do we do? We have to try. If we don't, then Holly will die sooner or later. I suppose if his memories come back we'll just have to mind wipe him again."

"How in Frond's name are we going to get him to agree to another mind wipe?" Root demanded. "I know where you're coming from, but if his memories come back, then it's another lost battle. We can't really, legally, force him to get another wipe."

He sighed. "Perhaps not. But think about it this way, Commander: if his memories do come back, maybe we can't force him to get another wipe, but if anybody can convince him to keep the People a secret still, it's Holly."

Root chewed that over for a minute, then nodded slowly. "I suppose so," he agreed. "Fowl always did seem to have a soft spot for my captain."

"When do we go?"

Everybody turned to look at the corporal. "What do you mean, we?"

"I mean we," Mercedes said firmly. "You can't send Holly up there by herself! What if she has another fit like this morning's? She can't be alone for that. Especially if something happens in front of Fowl. How is she going to explain herself if she's writhing in pain?"

There was a moment's collective silence here. "She has a point," Foaly said.

Root scowled, but nodded. "Alright, Corporal. You can go with Holly to talk to Fowl. But I want both of you to have high security, and you have to be very, very careful. Fowl is not a force to be reckoned with or taken lightly, especially if he's back to the way he was when he first made contact. Got it?"

The corporal nodded. "Yessir. I understand." She paused. "When do we go?"

"Go gather up some visas and equipment," Root said. "By the time Holly wakes we'll have the shuttle ready for you."

Holly woke not even an hour later. Mercedes and Root were waiting for her.

"Scott?" Holly murmured, blinking a few times as she propped herself up in the bed. She blinked a few more times on noticing Root, making sure she was seeing correctly. "Commander? What are you doing here?"

"Giving you your mission," he answered, standing up. "I'm sending you and Corporal Scott to the surface, Holly. She has everything you'll need to-"

"The surface?" Holly interrupted, still slightly groggy. "Why? What's on the surface?"

"Fowl Manor," Root said grimly. "And your cure."

Three hours later:

As they flew over the dark Dublin sky, Holly sighed and murmured for the third time, "I still don't understand how you managed to convince the commander to let us do this."

Mercedes sighed. "Holly. I've explained this three times. I'm not doing it again. Even if I was going to try, we don't have time. Look." She pointed ahead and as Holly looked forward, she saw for the first time in several years the dark outline of Fowl Manor looming against the horizon. "Ready?" she asked, looking at her.

"I suppose," Holly murmured. "I just want to get this over with."

The corporal rubbed her shoulder gently. "I know, Holls. And we'll get through it. Somehow.."

Holly smiled weakly at her friend. "You know, Corporal, you're not great with comfort."

Mercedes laughed. "Perhaps not. But still.. I'm serious. We'll find a way to get through it. You'll get your cure, one way or another."

Holly nodded. "I believe you."

They flew the rest of the way in silence.

"How do we get in?" Mercedes asked, as they hovered over the roof of Fowl Manor.

"I still have an invitation," Holly answered. "At least I think I do. He never took it back, but with it being so long and him not even remembering us, I don't know whether it counts or not."

"I don't either, but I guess we'll found out, won't we?" she said, winking at her.

Holly rolled her eyes. "Thanks a lot," she said sarcastically, and then flew down to look for an open window.

After a few minutes inspection, she found one. Internally, she cheered, glad to be able to get out of the cold Irish wind - until she realized where the room led. "Ugh. It's Artemis's bedroom."

"Who cares? We won't be in there for long anyhow." She pushed her friend closer to the window. "Go on."

Holly sighed and nodded, ducking low and flying through the window - and then crying out in pain and collapsing on her knees.

"Holly! Are you alright? Are you getting sick?" Mercedes called, hovering by the window. She still couldn't come in.

"The invitation... It still stands..." Holly gasped, her hands clutching her knee. "My knee hurts now..."

"D'Arvit," she swore. "Holly... I can't do anything out here. I need an invitation."

"I - ahhhhh," Holly cried out. She lifted her hands from her knee, and they were bloody. "My knee... A new hole opened up.."

"I know... I'd heal it if I could, but if I come in I'll get sick." She paused, looking around the room for anything that could be taken as an invitation and sighing in frustration when she couldn't. "And there's nothing in here I can take as an invitation," she narrated irritably.

"How about a direct invite from me?" a cool voice asked, and they both looked up to see Artemis Fowl the second standing in the doorway, arms crossed as he stared at them. His deep blue eyes flicked from the elf on his floor, to the one hovering just outside his window and back again. Then his eyes locked on Holly, and, without removing his eyes from her, he spoke again. "Come in and sit on the floor beside your friend," he ordered, walking over to kneel beside Holly. Taking a pocket knife out of the dark wool jacket he wore, he flicked it open and waved it at Mercedes as he careful pulled Holly up from the floor. "And don't even think about drawing a weapon, or I'll stab her before you could blink."

Mercedes raised her hands as she walked over and slowly got down on her knees on the opposite side of Holly. "No weapons. Promise. I mean... I have them, but I won't use them. Just don't hurt Holly."

"Hm. Perhaps. Butler!" The giant manservant appeared at the door in less than a minute. "Take her to the lab and figure out why she's bleeding. Patch her up and then report back to me." He pushed Holly towards him, and Butler caught her with one hand, lifting her up and hoisting her over his shoulder. Artemis looked at Mercedes. "I'm going to deal with her."

"Yessir."

Then Butler turned and disappeared, and Artemis looked at her and ordered, "my bed. Sit."

The elf complied, and Artemis walked over and perched beside her, leaving a good foot and a half space. "Now," he said, leaning back and rubbing his hands together, "start talking."

Butler carried Holly quickly and quietly into the lab, taking her wigs off and laying her down on one of the metal tables and cuffing her arms and legs down. She protested weakly, but by now she was only half conscious and more than a little scared as she struggled to stay conscious. A loosing battle, she already knew, but she tried anyhow. However, she shut up when Butler gave her a look, and passed out soon after.

After a few minutes, Butler found the hole in her knee. Pulling her pants leg up, he carefully cleaned the wound and bandaged it, then turned his attention to the woman herself and her dangers, not the danger she was in.

He patted her down and came up with a bunch of high tech looking weapons and objects: a gun, a buzz baton, a roll of some kind of foil (which he almost missed because it blended in with her suit), and a helmet. All of these joined her wings in a pile on the floor.

It was around this time that Artemis came in. He dumped Mercedes's equipment in the pile with Holly's and looked at Butler. "Well?"

"Her knee was gushing. There was a hole, about the size a small bullet might make if she were shot, but there was no bullet inside and no other holes that suggest an exit point."

Artemis nodded thoughtfully. "It is possible she removed it, but not likely... When do you think she'll wake?"

"Soon," Butler admitted. "I think it was mostly pain and blood loss that did it, so it shouldn't be too long."

"Good. I'll grill her for information next. Perhaps I'll be a little more successful with her."

"What did the other one say?"

"A bunch of things," Artemis sighed. "A bunch of _lies_, to be sure. However, I do not believe she is in charge out of the two, and she was rather winging it because she wasn't sure how to answer." He paused. "She babbled so much it was rather painful to try to keep up. Told me a bunch of nonsense about fairies and magic and some kind of adventures..." Dismayed, he shook his head. "Too fantastical to be real, in my opinion."

Holly, who was slowly surfacing into awareness during this conversation and had heard all of it, mumbled a weak protest at that. "She wasn't lying. And it wasn't nonsense."

Both Artemis and Butler's eyes snapped to her at that. "Oh really? And I am just supposed to believe that?" Artemis demanded.

"I can prove it," Holly croaked. "I just... Not in this state."

Head cocked thoughtfully, Artemis walked over and released her hands and feet from the cuffs. As she went to sit up, Butler moved to block Artemis, but the man merely waved him away. Holly rolled her eyes and muttered, "yeah right. Like I would hurt the Mud Boy after I fought so hard to keep him alive."

It wasn't really meant to be heard by him, but Artemis still caught it. "Really? Strange, because I don't even remember you," he drawled, his homeland accent thick in his words. "Or was that another lie?"

"None of it is lies," Holly snapped, trying to ignore how alluring she found it when he spoke like that. "I-I can't prove the magic thing myself, as I don't have a drop in me at the moment. Mercedes can, but I can't. As for the fairy part.." She hesitated, then sighed. "Give me your hand."

"Why?" Artemis asked, but nevertheless extended his arm with his hand palm-up. Holly took it, licking her lips as she carefully slid it up the side of her face and beneath her hair until he felt the ridge of her pointed ear.

"Because," Holly said softly, lowering her eyes as she released his hand, "Root is probably going to kill me for letting this go so awry anyways."

Surprise flitted across his features as he instantly stepped forward and pressed her back down on the metal table again. Leaning down, so close they could feel each other's breaths, he pushed her hair back to get a better look at her ear. "Interesting... Is this a natural thing?"

"It's a fairy thing," Holly answered. "All fairies have pointy ears, unless they're altered surgically to be rounded. So, I suppose, yes, it is natural."

"Hm..." He straightened up, pulling her up as well. "Perhaps, then, this fairy business may be true. How about the magic thing? And the supposed adventures?"

"The term I would use would be suicide missions, not adventures," Holly groaned, rubbing her face. And then, too low for him to hear, "I have no idea how explain this without bringing back the memories..."

Artemis took this differently than Holly did. To him it looked like she was rubbing her eyes because she was tired, and when he realized this he frowned at himself. "I suppose you're probably tired," he muttered. "I suppose this can wait a while. Butler, go put her in one of the basement cells next to her friend for a bit. We'll continue this later," he told Holly, his eyes flicking back to her as he stepped back.

"Oh, wow. Here we go again," Holly muttered to his retreating back. "Back to the basement I go."


	3. Chapter 3

**10: Okay, so. . . .long time no posting! **

**7: Yea...I totally forgot about these stories**

**10: *huffs* told you you were getting senile. . .**

**7: Senile? I mean...I'm blonde...I don't really know what senile is…**

**10: Seriously? The most basic vocab word. . . *shakes head* annnnywho. . . We own nothing! . . .that is the point in this. . . **

**7: We do own something though! *pouts***

**10:And what is that? Your hair? **

**7: Haha! No! The OOCness of all the Artemis Fowl characters!**

**10: Not to mention my awesome OC. But JUST those things!**

Mercedes was sitting on the cot when Holly came in. However, when she saw her, the corporal jumped up and grabbed her by the shoulders, hugging her. "Thank Frond. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Scott. Butler patched me up. And it was just my knee; it's not like a hole opened up in my head or something."

"Do I look like I D'Arvitting care?" Mercedes demanded. "I don't know what I would do if something happened to you. Which reminds me, how are we getting the hell out of here?"

"We can't just get out of here, Corporal, and you know it." She sighed. "Its not going to be simple. Trust me, I know Fowl better than any of the others... even if he hasn't figured out already how to contact the commander, he will soon. After all, he has our helmets and stuff... not to mention the fact he's probably listening to our conversation right now."

The corporal jolted. "How? And what are we doing, saying all this stuff then?"

"Well, let's see, try the camera in the corner," Holly snapped, pointing up to the ceiling corner on the other side of the room, where there was indeed a camera hanging there. "And because he'll find out one way or another, whether we give it up or he figures it out on his own. And I don't know about you, but I want out of here as soon as I can possibly get out of here, and right now, as it stands, I can tell that won't be any time soon. In case you haven't figured it out yet, we're prisoners, Scott. Hostages. Once again, Fowl is in control... of me, and you."

Before the corporal could answer that, there was a slight emission as the intercom came on. There was the sound of mock handclapping before anything else. "Well done, Miss Short," Artemis's cold voice came through the speakers. "I must say, you figured out the situation rather quickly. Have you been my prisoner before? I'm almost inclined to believe you have been."

Holly smirked, "I don't know, maybe I was, maybe I wasn't. It depends on whether you suddenly believe those made up adventures we had." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm. "I was pretty sure you told me that they were fake."

"I'm seeing more and more evidence that they aren't," Artemis said, his sigh sounding a rush of static through the speakers. "Captain Short. Are they or are they not real?"

"Do we tell him?" Scott asked quietly.

"I'll have you know this mic is whisper sensitive, Corporal," Artemis snapped. "And it wasn't really an optional question." He paused, making his voice a tinge softer as he spoke directly to Holly, and even through the camera she swore she could feel his eyes boring holes into her. "Holly. Don't make me order you. Tell me the truth."

Holly closed her eyes. "How do you know my name? Did.. did you remember?"

"If you really want to know this, perhaps I should have Butler bring you back up here."

"And why is that? Too afraid to say it in front of Scott? Or did you suddenly decide that nap time wasn't in order yet?"

She could practically hear Artemis rolling his eyes. "Don't get smart with me. And anyhow, it wouldn't matter how long I left you in there, I think we both know you would have never gone to sleep anyways."

Holly had to agree with that. "Okay, maybe that's true. But that doesn't mean I couldn't have used five minutes to talk to Scott without having to deal with you as well."

The coldness in her voice surprised Mercedes, not to mention scared her. "Holly, I don't think making him mad would be a good idea," she warned, squeezing her friend's arm.

"Yes, you should listen to your friend," Artemis growled, his voice low and cold again. "Especially when we're alone. By the way, Butler will be there in a few minutes." He chuckled coldly as Mercedes bit her lip and looked away, her eyes wide. "Don't worry,_Scott_. The reception is for Holly this time. I'm done with you, for the moment." Holly scowled towards her friend, then looked up and glared at the camera. She could almost see Artemis sneering. "See you soon, Captain."

The connection cut.

Holly let out a soft string of colorful language. however, it stopped abruptly when a shadow loomed over her and Mercedes looked up behind Holly. The next think Holly knew, she was being led out of the cell, Scott yelling at Butler not to hurt her.

The two didn't say much as they went through the manor to Artemis' study. Holly tried to muster up the courage to say something, but whenever she opened her mouth, she forgot what she was going to say. Butler, on the other hand, didn't want or need to say anything at all. Either way, Butler pushed Holly into the study, and closed the door behind him as he left.

Holly, who still wasn't well on her feet from the blood loss and her knee wound, fell when Butler pushed her inside the blood red study. Her hands stopped her from falling onto her face, but got rug burn after that. The elf looked up at the desk she knew was in front of her, to the man she knew was sitting in the chair.

Artemis steepled his fingers as he looked down at the fallen elf, not going to help her at all. Raising an eyebrow, he watched Holly look up at him. _Her eyes, _he thought, _There's something about those eyes…_

The genius shook his head into focus. He didn't need to wonder, he needed answers_now._

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

Holly narrowed his eyes at his tone, snarky and sarcastic. She glared at him, "Worse now that I'm here with you."

Before Holly could get up, or even think about it, Artemis got up and grabbed her by her arm, dragging her over to the chair he was just sitting in and pushed her into it. He turned it around, so Holly was pressed against the desk and he was in back of her. She heard a click and felt a cold edge touch her neck softly.

"Now, I brought you up here for answers about your 'lies.' You will answer without hesitation and tell me the truth or I will hurt you, understand?" He said bluntly into her ear. "And don't think that I won't find out if it is a lie or not, I will."

Holly nodded quickly, her breathing rapid as she felt the knife on her throat. _I thought Argon said he wouldn't be cruel anymore...stupid doctor, psychologist…whatever he is…_

"Alright." Artemis replied, not removing the knife from her throat. "What are you here for?"

Holly had to think about this. Should she tell him the truth? Would it trigger his memories? Would it be allowed at all? She didn't even get to open her mouth as Artemis pressed the metal a little deeper into her neck.

"I said, 'without hesitation.'" He commented lowly. The man behind Holly sighed, "Next question, I suppose. Would you and your friend's stories match up, I wonder?"

"Yes, but I would probably go into more detail than her by a long shot." Holly blurted out.

"Why?"

"B-Because…" Holly started, not sure how to answer once again.

Again, she heard Artemis sigh, and this time, he removed the knife. The man spun the desk chair around so Holly was facing him again.

"It seems as though you do not follow instructions very well, as much as I threaten you." He said dryly. "Perhaps if I hurt someone else, you would give me the information I need…"

Immediately, Holly knew what he was talking about. _He's going to hurt Scott… _"No, please. You can't do that."

Artemis crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Oh? And why not? I told you there would be consequences. I've told you twice, in fact, and you have yet to obeyed what I want you to answer."

"That doesn't mean that you have to punish Scott!"

"Apparently, it does."

"Please…Please don't." Holly tried to convince him nicely. "I-I'll do anything, just don't hurt her. Hurt me, just...please…" She trailed off.

The man sighed, he didn't know why, but he actually gave into her pleas. "Fine." Artemis leaned down, pushing Holly by her shoulders further into the chair. "I'll ask you one more time. What are these 'adventures' you and Scott keep talking about?"

"It's complicated." Holly answered, starting to ramble. "There's so much to explain and-"

But she didn't get to finish as Artemis flicked open his knife again, this time slicing her arm with it. She cried out in pain, shutting her eyes tightly. "That's not what I asked," Artemis growled.

"I can't answer what you asked if you keep doing this!" Holly yelled back. Her eyes stayed closed. Artemis was silent for a few minutes after that, and when she peeked open her eyes she saw he was staring at her, deep in thought. She looked up at him as he stared at her, and suddenly he sighed.

"Fine. You have a point." Spinning the chair around again, he quickly brought himself up another chair and sat facing her, then pushed the hair back off his face and twirled the knife in his fingers as he leaned forward. "Okay. Holly," he said calmly, handing her a tissue to wipe her arm with. "we're going to start over, as obviously threats aren't the way to go here. However, I will warn you: just because I won't threaten you doesn't mean I won't hurt you, it just means punishment will be all the painful and sudden. Therefore, you'd best answer my questions, and honestly, because I'm done playing games. Understand?"

"Perfectly," Holly agreed, holding the tissue balled up on the cut on her arm. "On the contrary, though, I recall you promising me answers as well. And considering the fact you are a genius, I think you should know that one tissue is not going to be enough to make this cut stop bleeding."

"I am very aware of this, Miss Short. And when you start forthcoming with information, I'll start forthcoming with hospitality. In the meantime, you'd best just be considering yourself lucky that I'm in a good mood, and be very cautious of yours words if you want to make it last."

"Deal. Now, ask away. I suppose.."

"The adventures Scott talked about. Truth or lies?"

"They were true, and real. Trust me, I was there."

"As was I?"

"Yes. But you were mind-wiped afterwards. That's why neither you nor Butler knows who I am."

"What about Scott?"

"She was still in the academy," Holly said, waving that question away. "I didn't even know her name until after you were mind-wiped."

"Why was I mind-wiped? And why didn't I get a say in it?"

"Whoa," Holly snapped. "Don't turn this on us. You were the criminal, you were the problem, and... you did get a say in it. You agreed to the mind-wipe."

"And I should take your word on this?"

"You can ask Scott if you want confirmation. Or Foaly, or Commander Root for that matter."

"I don't know any of those people," Artemis sighed.

"You do," Holly argued, shaking her head. "You did. You just don't remember them."

"How do I remember them?"

"You aren't supposed to remember them."

Artemis cocked his head, testing the tip of the knife on the pad of his thumb. "Perhaps. But are you going to risk your life keeping that from me?" He pointed the tip of the weapon at her, and Holly flinched.

"Look. I-I can't tell you that. Not even because I wouldn't really be allowed to because it's against my orders, but because I don't even know. You'd have to ask Foaly."

He tapped the knife against his lip, seeing her flinch when he moved it again and contemplating her words. "And I should believe you on this because?" he questioned.

Holly bit her tongue and closed her eyes, hissing out a breath before answering. "Artemis. I never said you had to believe it. I just agreed to tell you the truth. Whether you believe it is the truth or not, is not my issue. Just.. don't hurt me if you don't, alright? It's not my fault if you don't trust me."

"No, of course. I am just saying that it's rather suspicious that you know everything else except how to being back my memories," Artemis replied. "Really, don't you agree?"

"Artemis..." She sighed. "If you want an excuse to hurt me, then why don't you just do it?"

"I don't want to hurt you. And even if I did, the fact that I would would be reason enough." He leaned forward. "Do you believe I want to hurt you?"

"Not exactly. But you threatening me after every other word doesn't do much to make me believe you don't."

The human sighed too. Extending his hand, he murmured, "take my hand."

She shied away from it. "Don't touch me, Fowl."

Artemis's features flicked from annoyance, back to his emotionless look, then, his expression softened as he dropped his hand. "You're afraid of me. Of course. I must ask, though: is it because of my threats now, or because of something I did in the past?"

Holly's mouth opened, then closed, several times. She had to blink just as many times. "I..."

Artemis sighed and sat back. "Perhaps you're more tired than I thought," he murmured, looking at the ground.

"Tired," Holly muttered, blinking. "Yeah. I'm tired. That's what's wrong."

He sucked in a breath and stood up. "Are you taking me back to the cell?" Holly questioned, as he pulled her to her feet.

"No. But I am making you lie down," Artemis answered. Keeping a firm hold on her arm, he led her from the room, taking her right across the hall to his room. He pushed her inside, in the general direction of the bed, and paused behind her to close the door, The lock clicked, and Holly quickly retreated.

"I'm not laying down in your bed, Fowl."

"You act like you think I'm going to rape you or something." When Holly didn't respond, and he rolled his eyes. "Captain Short. Don't be ridiculous. I am not going to hurt you. Now please, lay down."

"Says the man with the open knife still in his hand," Holly muttered, moving to retreat a little further. However, the human caught her arm stopped her, lifting her up on the bed and forcing her down with the knife when she tried to get up.

"Under the covers," he ordered. Biting back her rising fear, she rolled to the side and quickly scrambled beneath the covers like he said. "Now, please relax. I'll give you an hour, and then I'll be back, so take advantage while you can." With that, he turned to the door.

"Where are you going?" Holly asked, sitting up on her elbows. As shaken as she was, she also sounded curious.

"You told me if I didn't believe you to ask Scott," Artemis answered, unlocking and clicking open the door, "now, that's what I'm going to do. You had just better hope your stories match up." Then, with a flash of his signature vampire smirk, he disappeared, locking the door again behind him.


End file.
